The Storm’s Gift by A.D. Ellis

Title: The Storm’s Gift

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily Stocking Stuffers

Author: A.D. Ellis

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Length: Short Story (34 Pages)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Snowed in together in their college dorm, two men share a quick connection that creates enough heat to spar with the blizzard outside.

Rory Blackwell plans to rejuvenate his mind and repair his battered heart after his world is shaken by an unexpected breakup. James Austin’s freshman-year plans of improving his social life crashed and burned, leaving him feeling as alone and outcast as he did back home.

One man is hurting while the other is eager to provide comfort. One is a virgin, the other experienced with other men. Both are looking forward to Winter Break, but can they take full advantage of their situation—or will the passion ignited between them fizzle out with the storm?

ISBN: 978-1-64080-896-4

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Rory was a bit upset with his boyfriend breaking up with him and his parents off on a long trip. He decided to spend his two-week Christmas break at the dorm’s. Peace and quiet with no one around. That is until one of the freshman was stuck right there with him. James was a quiet young man who didn’t really have any friends. It looks like his luck might just be changing.

I am not normally a fan of very short stories but this one was a blast to read. Not only is it short, but the author seemed to put the whole magic into it. It felt like a nice size story with quite a bit of detail to it. It is perfect for the holidays and has given me a new author to look out for. The characters were entertaining and the sex was pretty hot.

This might just change my idea of short Christmas stories. I had a lot of fun with it and would definitely recommend it. I can also admit that this will probably be on my holiday read list for each Christmas.

The Puzzle Box by C.C. Bridges

Title: The Puzzle Box

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: C.C. Bridges

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 10, 2017)

Length: Short Story (31 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Elementary school art teacher Cole Peters is expecting a lonely Christmas this year while his longtime boyfriend, James Carducci, is on deployment with the Army. However, a box from James contains puzzles that lead Cole on a scavenger hunt through the greatest moments of their relationship. Together with his best friend Liz, Cole works his way through each clue.

The final puzzle could lead Cole to a gift beyond his wildest expectations.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-295-7

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: James and Cole have been best friends since junior high, and boyfriends not to long after that. James went off to join the military and Cole stayed home to teach kids. Long distance relationship is pretty hard but these two make it seem easy. This is the first Christmas however, when Cole would be celebrating alone. When James sent him a box with a puzzle in it, Cole knew he was in for a hunt.

I found that I actually liked this quite a bit, and would wish that it was turned into a longer story. It is a short story that had quite a bit of detail and depth to it. I was quite surprised, there are not many short stories that have that. Usually you just get a taste and it is done, but this gives you so much more. I enjoyed the adventure and these two are just plain perfect for each other. I will be looking at this author’s work from now on. I had a lot of fun with it and would definitely recommend it.

Pining for Perfect by Ki Brightly

Title: Pining for Perfect

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Ki Brightly

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 9, 2017)

Length: Short Story (61 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Stokely leads a solitary life, trying to do all the right things. He has a solid, respectable job, a properly decorated, respectable apartment, and goes to work every single day, no matter what. But it’s Christmas, and he hates Christmas, especially since his one guilty pleasure, listening to Asher Banks on the radio, is ruined with upbeat, holiday garbage.

Asher is the polar opposite—he loves Christmas to a fault and schedules himself into the ground with fundraisers to help the local community. When Asher and Stokely meet during one of the holiday spectacles Asher has thrown together, sparks fly, but neither one of them has ever had a real Christmas—or a real home. Will they be able to make one with each other?

ISBN: 978-1-64080-351-0

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Stokely lived his life in foster care, and most of them were not even close to being good places. He grew up hating Christmas and crowds from what I can tell. He has a great job where he helps people but after that he never sees them again. He has a big heart but has been hurt in the past. He has one pleasure and that is listening to Asher on the radio. Even if the guy loves Christmas. When they meet, Asher tries to get him in the mood, but things go really slow with them. But Stokely might just learn to love the holidays.

This one was a really sweet Christmas story but also really sad in parts of it. These two are perfect together. I was glad for the happy ending, but must admit the story was a little slow for me. But it was still a great story. I enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend it. In a way it tells how a Christmas should be.

Red Popcorn Strings and Gumball Rings by Nell Iris

Title: Red Popcorn Strings and Gumball Rings

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Nell Iris

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 8, 2017)

Length: Short Story

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Christmas is coming, and young couple Casey and Ellis are very much in love. Unfortunately, they’re also the definition of dirt poor, and they don’t have the money for nonessentials like decorations. Or a turkey. Or gifts. Between the recent death of Casey’s beloved momma and Ellis’s estrangement from his family, all they have is each other.

When Ellis finds the saddest-looking Christmas tree south of the Mason-Dixon Line thrown away outside his workplace and brings it home to Casey, things look up. Life is still a struggle, but wealth isn’t always measured in money, and what seems worthless to others is often invaluable to the people who love it.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-294-0

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Young love beats all. Casey and Ellis have been best friends forever and boyfriends for just about as long. With Casey’s mom being gone and Ellis’s family not wanting anything to do with them, it is just them together. However in their eyes that is enough. Christmas time is even made better when Ellis finds a very sad looking tree that was being thrown out. To Casey that was the best tree ever. Things start to look up for them both.

This story is one of those that makes you think about the people around you. It makes you thankful of what you have. This story was probably the perfect Christmas story I have ever came across. It was sweet and tender, will make you cry, and then it will make you smile. I enjoyed the characters and their quirky ways.

I had a blast reading it and can guarantee you will too.

An Open Window by Rick R. Reed

Title: An Open Window

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 7, 2017)

Length: Short Story (21 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Two men. One Christmas Eve that changes the courses of both their lives.

Henry’s homeless and only wants a warm place to sleep on the coldest night of the year. A forgotten open window in a darkened house entices Henry inside with the promise of warmth and comfort. He knows it’s wrong, but he promises himself he’ll be out before the owner wakes on Christmas morning. Except he oversleeps and the homeowner, Jim, discovers a bearded stranger sawing logs under his dining room table. When the shock and the drama that ensues dies down, Henry and Jim discover that they might have found, quite unexpectedly, the Christmas miracle they’d both been longing for—love and home.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-350-3

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: An open window and a frozen man, is what Jim finds up when he gets up in the morning. But in truth what he finds is the man just for him. Jim lost it all, now homeless, all he wanted was a place where he wouldn’t freeze to death. An open window is just the thing.

This story is one of those that makes you think about the people around you. It makes you thankful of what you have. This story was probably the perfect Christmas story I have ever came across. It was sweet and tender, will make you cry, and then it will make you smile. I enjoyed the characters and their quirky ways. I had a blast reading it and can guarantee you will too.

I sure hope that this author turns this little story into a full size novel, because I sure do want to read more about these two guys and their life together.

The Mature Man’s Guide to Surviving Change by Chris Scully

Title: The Mature Man’s Guide to Surviving Change

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Chris Scully

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 6, 2017)

Length: Short Story (59 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: In the sunny playground of Palm Springs, growing up was something confirmed bachelor and bad-boy chef Joel avoided at all costs—until a close friend’s death made him reevaluate his priorities. Ever since, he’s been dedicated to helping his widowed friend Perry get back on his feet by teaching him to cook and providing a shoulder to cry on. But when Perry announces that he’s ready to start dating again and then begins receiving gifts from an anonymous secret Santa, Joel is forced to confront the feelings he’s suppressed for so long.

As Joel struggles with jealousy and guilt amid the holiday season, he must decide if he’s ready to grow up and reach for what he’s always wanted but never thought he could have.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-293-3

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: When Dale passed away it left his husband lost. With Joel’s help Perry was getting back to normal. However he also started seeing Joel in a different light. So he decided after two years it was time to start to date again, now all he had to do is to convince the one man he wanted.

This was a very cute story about love and loss, and love again. Friends to lovers type of story. How it felt like Joel was competing for Perry’s heart with a dead man. However you can tell that is not what is going on. I actually found myself smiling and enjoying this story quite a bit. I would recommend it.

Salvaging Claus Day by J. Alan Veerkamp

Title: Salvaging Claus Day

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: J. Alan Veerkamp

Genre: Christmas, Sci-Fi

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 5, 2017)

Length: Short Story (34 Pages)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: For three years, Filo has reveled in silence and solitude as the sole occupant of a space station, where he maintains the communication satellite.

Everything changes with the appearance of Luz Espina’s lifepod. Filo shares many interests with the flirtatious Luz, though Filo’s isolation has strained his communication skills. Still, Luz pushes all his buttons… and reminds him of the last man he was attracted to—an attraction that ended in disaster because the man was straight. When Luz learns Filo has never celebrated a holiday, he vows to cobble together a Claus Day celebration for them to share. But is it merely a friendly gesture… or something more?

ISBN: 978-1-64080-292-6

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Filo has been in space for quite some time. The blurb is really kind of off. In the story it says Filo, and three others. He is not exactly human but more like he was created or engineered. He was a fighting soldier, but had no taste for blood. So he asked to be put into space to work. Luz is sexy as hell and wants Filo, even tried to walk around naked to get a reaction. Now with it being Claus Day, he knows how to make it work.

This was not one of the stories I would have chosen for the holidays. There were parts of it that were off which made it hard to work out. It also starts off really dry and dull, and now I know all about space stations. Then it comes to naked men, and yeah just really bizarre. It was not my kind of story and did nothing for me. The ending was really nice, but I just don’t see how they get from one point to the steaming want in the end. I am sorry but this book was just not for me.

Hope is the Thing With Feathers by Brandon Witt

Title: Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Brandon Witt

Genre: Gay Erotic Romance, Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2017)

Length: Short Story (48 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Fifty-six-year-old Samuel Phillips is all alone on his small farm in the Ozarks, with nothing but a menagerie of chickens, pheasants, turkeys, and other birds as company—which is just the way he likes it. In fact, if Samuel had his way, he’d tear down his neighbor’s house so his solitude could be absolute. One day Faloola, his favorite turkey, escapes, forcing Samuel to make the trek next door. When Raymond Webber—sixty-seven—answers the door as naked as the day he was born, Samuel doesn’t know whether he’s more annoyed… or attracted. The two men are opposites in every way—Samuel is serious, while Raymond believes in free love and herbal relaxation. The weeks leading up to Christmas are rocky to say the least, but some holiday spirit might help them get past their differences….

ISBN: 978-1-64080-291-9

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Samuel is living his life the way he wanted, even if he was alone. He lived in the beautiful Ozarks with his amazing birds. Except now he was out in the cold searching for his favorite turkey. She did love to wander. To bad she ended up at his neighbor’s house. Raymond is a man who is just a bit older than Samuel, but he had never settled down. That is until his uncle passed away and left him his house. These two are perfect for each other, weird all the way around.

I was expecting a Christmas story when I was given this but it was still pretty cool. Although the grumpy old man side does come out with these two. Thanksgiving day and turkeys aside, it was a pretty good book. Although the cover was a bit dull, the story was entertaining.

I enjoyed reading it and it makes good for when you need a quick read.

The Peppermint Schnapps Predicament by Kim Fielding

Title: The Peppermint Schnapps Predicament

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Clare London

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 3, 2017)

Length: Short Story (39 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Frankie Faraday is a promising young salesperson at Mason’s Emporium. Bill Mason is his boss, the son of the store’s founder, and the object of Frankie’s long-suffering, deeply devoted crush. Bill is steady and sober; Frankie is frivolous and flaky. Or so they seem to each other, until the night of the annual inventory, when they’re trapped together in the Seasonal Gifts storeroom, with nothing but candy and peppermint schnapps to sustain them until they’re rescued. And then the real truths—and something definitely more intimate—emerge!

ISBN: 978-1-64080-290-2

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Frankie works his ass off at Mason’s Emporium and day dreams about his boss. He just hadn’t dreamed that he would accidentally lock them both in a store room at work. Sounds kind of fun to me. These two are more different then one would expect, but they also show how much they are alike.

This one was a blast to read and the characters rocked it. It has a lot of humor in it which is a major plus to me. At first I wasn’t to sure about Bill, but he changes my mind real quick. I loved Frankie, he is just so quirky and true. It was a cute little story for Christmas that had a lot of details and depth to it.

I enjoyed it quite a bit and would guarantee that you will too.

O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters

Title: O Hell, All Ye Shoppers

Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily- Stocking Stuffers

Author: Louisa Masters

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 2, 2017)

Length: Short Story (28 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts

Blurb: Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday, December 23, with junk food and bad TV, a day just for him amid the holiday chaos… until his baby sister calls and begs him to go collect a present for her. At the biggest shopping center in Australia. On the busiest shopping day of the year. Hell no. Right?

Ethan’s soft heart gets the best of him. He battles through the parking lot, and in the main shopping concourse, he’s trampled, elbowed, and bombarded with terrible holiday music. Then he enters hell itself, a specialty store aimed at women… where he meets Ty. They bond in a sea of estrogen and manic shoppers, fighting together to attain freedom, only to find they’re not quite ready go their separate ways.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-309-1

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: It is a small world for some. Ethan, who just wants to lay around doing nothing on his Saturday, ends up going to the mall. His crazy little sister and her request. At least there is one sexy man there who needed to buy a different present. Can you see two strong men going to a store meant to cater women, crazy.

It is a cute little story but it just gives you a taste. Meet and like each other, then togetherness. Christmas in Australia, warm weather ahead. I am afraid that I would rather have Christmas surrounded by snow. It is cute, but I do hope this author turns around and makes it into a longer story. It has great potential, but as a short story doesn’t really give you a lot. Other than that it is a fun little read.